Tag: 3BL

CNH brand, CASE Construction Equipment, is returning to Bauma, the world’s leading trade fair for construction equipment machinery, taking place from April 7-13 in Munich, Germany. As a finalist in both the Digital and the Mechanical Engineering categories of the Bauma Innovation Awards, the company will present a wide range of advanced solutions, with a focus on alternative fuels, automation and connectivity. CASE will demonstrate its comprehensive range of equipment, designed to meet the evolving needs of operators and fleet managers across Europe.

“The ‘Let’s Drive the Future’ concept embodies CASE’s commitment to addressing the challenges our customers face in a sector impacted by new regulations and by a shortage of skilled operators,” said Fabrizio Cepollina, Head of CNH CE EMEA. “Our goal is to offer solutions that integrate new fuel technologies and automation to enhance productivity and efficiency.”

CASE’s extensive stand at Bauma will focus on new wheel loaders, mini excavators, backhoe loaders, crawler excavators and an expanding offer of electric models. These machines, designed for applications ranging from urban construction to waste management, quarrying, and road construction, are engineered to deliver operational efficiency, minimised operating costs and reduced environmental impact—all in line with rapidly changing market demands. In addition, CASE will showcase two customised machines, examples of its new Special Application Division that is housed within the Sampierana R&D Department.

The CASE Smart Loader Assist AI Technology is a finalist in the Digital category of the Bauma Innovation Awards, while the Impact remote-controlled electric loader is a finalist in the Mechanical Engineering category.

Zero emission electric models will be central to the CASE display at Bauma. Electric machines provide environmentally responsible solutions with numerous advantages, including lower energy consumption, quieter operation and reduced maintenance costs.

The CASE stand at Bauma 2025 invites all visitors to explore the brand’s vision for a sustainable, automated construction job site of the future.

Click here to read more.

With the Los Angeles area having suffered catastrophic damage from the recent wildfires, AEG’s Los Angeles Kings teamed up with the National Hockey League (NHL) to host a special benefit hockey game, Skate For LA Strong, “A Celebration to Support the Fire Recovery Efforts in Los Angeles.” The event aimed to raise proceeds for the LA Fire Relief Fund and provide support for those impacted by the fires.

Held at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA, Skate For LA Strong brought together celebrities, professional athletes, musicians, local first responders, and—most importantly—fire victims and their families. The exhibition game featured four teams competing in a single elimination format, with each team’s roster including a mix of celebrities, former NHL greats, and first responders from the Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and Los Angeles Police Department.

Headlining the player participants were stars like Justin Bieber and Steve Carell, alongside Hockey Hall of Fame members Rob Blake, Cammi Granato, Mark Messier, and Jeremy Roenick. Celebrity coaches, including Danny DeVito, Snoop Dogg, Will Ferrell, Al Michaels, Cobie Smulders, Hannah Stocking, Vince Vaughn, and Andrew Whitworth, added to the excitement. A complete list of participants and attendees can be found here.

For many attendees, the night was a rare opportunity to take a break from the overwhelming reality of loss and recovery, instead immersing themselves in a lively and uplifting atmosphere. Skate For LA Strong highlighted the power of sports and entertainment in bringing communities together, offering comfort, and fostering resilience in times of hardship.

The event also featured musical performances by producer and Kaskade, singer/songwriter Jordan Davis and singer Lauren Spencer Smith.

Originally published by Northwestern Mutual on February 11, 2025

MILWAUKEE, February 25, 2025 /3BL/ – 14 Northwestern Mutual advisors were recognized on the prestigious Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State list for 2025. Advisors who earn a spot on Forbes‘ annual list stand out for delivering an exceptional experience, superior outcomes, and greater financial security for their clients.

“These elite advisors represent the pinnacle of our industry, showcasing how better conversations and revealing blind spots can lead to greater financial security and success,” said John Roberts, chief field officer at Northwestern Mutual. “Through comprehensive planning combining risk protection and wealth management, each of these honorees and their teams continue to deliver outstanding results for clients while empowering more Americans to worry less, live more, and seize their financial future.”

Northwestern Mutual is focused on fostering an environment that supports the growth of all its financial advisors and continues to earn acclaim for that commitment. It was named one of Forbes‘ Best Employers for Diversity and a Top 50 “Best of the Best” Corporation for Inclusion. These accolades, along with the 14 advisors listed on Forbes‘ latest Best-in-State ranking, exemplify Northwestern Mutual’s commitment to advancing women and diversity in the financial services industry.

Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State recognition showcases the top professionals in the industry, representing experts across the nation by state. Conducted by SHOOK Research, advisors are selected following a careful vetting process based upon qualitative and quantitative data, interviews, service models, investing models, the application of best practices, and other criteria.

About Northwestern Mutual

Northwestern Mutual has been helping people and businesses achieve financial security for more than 165 years. Through a comprehensive planning approach, Northwestern Mutual combines the expertise of its financial professionals with a personalized digital experience and industry-leading products to help its clients plan for what’s most important. With over $627 billion of total assets1 being managed across the company’s institutional portfolio as well as retail investment client portfolios, more than $36 billion in revenues, and $2.3 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than five million people with life, disability income and long-term care insurance, annuities, and brokerage and advisory services. Northwestern Mutual ranked 110 on the 2024 FORTUNE® 500 and was recognized by FORTUNE as one of the “World’s Most Admired” life insurance companies in 2025.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM), Milwaukee, WI (life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (investment brokerage services), broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company® (NMWMC) (investment advisory and services), federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC) (long-term care insurance).

Northwestern Mutual continues to have the highest financial strength ratings awarded to any U.S. life insurer by all four of the major rating agencies: A.M. Best Company, A++ (highest), October 2024; Fitch Ratings, AAA (highest), December 2024; Moody’s Investors Service, Aaa (highest), August 2024; S&P Global Ratings, AA+ (second highest), April 2024. Third-party ratings are subject to change and are a measure of the company’s relative financial strength and security but are not a reflection of the performance or stability of funds invested in a company’s separate accounts. Ratings are for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company. The dividend scale and the underlying dividend interest rates are reviewed annually and are subject to change. Future dividends are not guaranteed, although Northwestern Mutual has paid a dividend every year since 1872.

1Includes investments and separate account assets of Northwestern Mutual as well as retail investment client assets held or managed by Northwestern Mutual.

*Forbes “Top Women Wealth Advisors” & Top Women Wealth Advisors Best in State, [February 11, 2025]. Research and ranking developed by SHOOK Research, LLC. Based upon data as of 9/30/2024. Northwestern Mutual and its advisors do not pay for placement on 3rd party rating lists, but do pay marketing fees to these organizations to promote the rating(s). Rankings and recognitions are no guarantee of future investment success.

SOURCE Northwestern Mutual

1-800-323-7033, mediarelations@northwesternmutual.com

LONDON, February 25, 2025 /3BL/ – Leidos (NYSE: LDOS) announced the company has been contracted for cybersecurity work by NHS Supply Chain, which supports excellence in patient care across England and Wales by ensuring access to high-quality, cost-effective medical products, services and food. During the initial three-year contract, Leidos will work to enhance the organisation’s cyber security posture to help it continue to source, deliver and supply vital healthcare goods to the NHS in England and Wales.

“Leidos brings extensive experience in delivering trusted cyber solutions. With decades of cyber experience and a global workforce skilled in this domain, our team utilises advanced capabilities to counter threats and secure what matters most,” said Eric Freeman, chief executive, Leidos UK & Europe. “We are committed to adding value to NHS Supply Chain and supporting its essential work in delivering excellent patient care.”

As part of the work, Leidos will provide 24/7 cyber threat monitoring while also working to enhance assurance standards through collaboration and continuous improvement. These will help deliver a resilient and sustainable cybersecurity service that supports uninterrupted performance and safeguards from potential threats. This contract builds on NHS Supply Chain’s growing efforts to defend their networks from cyberattacks as part of its IT transformation, which will build services to meet future technological needs, including supporting interactions with customers and suppliers.

Matt Wynn, executive director for data and technology at NHS Supply Chain, said: “Our collaboration with Leidos demonstrates our intent to continue to drive forward an improved cybersecurity posture. Ensuring robust, proactive security and vulnerability management is crucial for safeguarding the wider business against external threats. As well as being incredibly experienced in this business-critical field, Leidos has a deep understanding of the types of environments we will be working in where multiple collaborators work seamlessly together as a single, unified technology team.”

About Leidos

Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 48,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $15.4 billion for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2023. For more information, visit www.leidos.com.

Breast cancer remains a significant health challenge globally with approximately 2.3M new cases in 20221. While breast cancer deaths continue to fall in many countries worldwide, in others the situation is very different. In this article we meet some of the inspiring people who are working to change this situation.

Breast cancer is still the world’s most prevalent cancer, but survival rates have greatly improved since the 1980s in countries that have early detection programs and different ways of treating it2. But in other countries, the picture is very different.

Studies show that women in Ghana are diagnosed at more advanced stages of the disease – up to 70% of women have advanced stage cancer by the time it is identified, resulting in limited treatment success and high death rates3. This frequently comes down to a lack of awareness and education, as well as common myths, stigmas and misconceptions.

Treating women with breast cancer in Ghana, as well as raising awareness about the condition, has been an important part of Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai’s lifelong work. General surgeon, breast surgeon and consultant in breast cancer management, she is the founder and CEO of Ghana’s Peace and Love Hospitals and founder and president of Breast Care International (BCI) and BCI America.

“We have an unfortunate situation in Ghana where the majority of breast cancer patients present with advanced stage cancer. This makes the cure difficult, especially when it’s an advanced tumor. Some of our patients are also quite young when cancer strikes, and the tumors are more aggressive.”

Diagnosis is only the start of the journey and once treatment begins, it is vital that our patients get the medicines they need.

“A course of chemotherapy can last for six or eight cycles,” says Dr Addai. “Sometimes when patients are receiving chemo, their white blood cell counts goes down and we have to stop treatment. There is a drug to counteract this but it is very expensive in Ghana and most patients cannot afford to buy it.”

Working to support Dr Addai’s mission, Teva’s breast cancer access program was set up in January 2022 and provides crucial medicines, treating about 2,350 women in 2024 alone. In 2024, Teva contributed approximately 329,000-unit doses valued at approximately $1.5M to support the fight against this disease. Since 2022, Teva has donated more than one million doses to this program, valued at over $4.4M.

“You cannot explain how people feel when they receive these medications, these people who had no hope of receiving cancer treatment,” she says. “It gives a lot of hope to patients and it gives joy to the prescribers and care givers. At last, a woman who needs the meds gets a constant supply throughout the course of her treatment.”

“Through our Access Programs, we are trying to reach underserved populations that we’re not reaching through our normal commercial pathways”, explains Yonina Fleischman, who leads Teva’s Healthy Equity and Access team. “We are delighted to be working with Dr Addai for our first breast cancer program. We want it to be scalable and sustainable and plans are already underway to expand our breast cancer initiatives.”

This is one of eight access programs that Teva has committed to run globally by 2025, getting medicines to more people, including in low and middle-income countries, who otherwise would not be able to access them.

The process of getting medications to underserved populations in often hard-to-reach-areas can be a tricky one – and this is where the third member of the partnership comes in, humanitarian aid organization Direct Relief. VP Tom Roane explains:

“Teva brings its world class drugs to the program. It has a portfolio second to none in terms of the drugs that are required on international protocols to be able to properly treat breast cancer patients. Direct Relief brings the supply chain logistics expertise, making sure those medicines get to where they need to, in perfect condition.”

It’s not just about donating the medicines. It’s also about creating an effective supply chain and the right storage conditions – many need to be stored in a refrigerator for example. Then, once everything is in place, women need to access the treatments, often from very remote rural areas where they live.

On supporting underserved communities, Tom adds: “As low- and middle-income countries continue to expand capacity for healthcare services, including the provision of specialized treatment and care, the opportunity to show the benefits of investments in humanitarian approaches like this project with BCI, Teva, and Direct Relief are critical to move towards lasting improvement in the healthcare system.”

“In partnership with Teva we have been offering patient support for education and awareness creation, psychological care and treatment,” Dr Wiafe Addai explains. “We have the largest breast cancer survivor association in Africa and intend to set up various patient groups, similar to those in the US and UK, where especially vulnerable women can access information, financial and social support, since such groups/systems do not presently exist in our country”.

“There are a lot of myths and misconceptions around breast cancer in Ghana”, she continues.” Women traditionally find a lump and go to their local prayer group or herbalist to cure it. In the past there have been no screening programs, so we are teaching people how to do their own breast self-examination. Thanks to our work with Teva, clinical breast screenings are being offered to more women in the communities, in churches, markets and other places, especially in the hard-to-reach areas. We are educating young women in high schools about breast cancer (“Young Ambassadors”) and encouraging them to share this knowledge with the women in their families. We hope to train more across the entire country”.

In 2024, Teva’s partnership with Breast Care International continued to make significant strides in combating breast cancer in Ghana. We expanded our efforts to include comprehensive capacity-building initiatives aimed at enhancing the skills of healthcare professionals and increasing community awareness across remote villages in the North Western region of Ghana.

BCI conducted oncology training programs for physician assistants and nurses reaching more than 65 healthcare professionals (HCPs), executed community outreach programs reaching over 7,800 community members, providing critical knowledge about breast cancer early detection and prevention, and organized clinical screening sessions reaching over 4,500 individuals, allowing for the early identification of potential cases. Expansion is underway to the Eastern region as well.

The legacy of this work will hopefully speak for itself in the months and years to come.

“Beatrice is ahead of the curve in the community outreach and early detection work that she does,” says Tom Roane, “She has really made community outreach and early detection a key portion of her cancer care program. She’s not just providing treatment, she is helping to change lives.”

References

1World Cancer Research Fund – Breast Cancer Statistics 
2World Health Organization Breast Cancer Factsheet 
3GNA Breast Cancer: Over 70% diagnoses in advanced stages

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Teva is committed to improving lives by increasing access to medicines across the world, through our innovative global access programs

Discover more about Teva’s innovative work to support unmet patient needs

Interested in getting involved in the work that we do? Explore a career at Teva

MIDLAND, Mich., February 25, 2025 /3BL/ – Dow (NYSE: DOW) announced that it has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) by S&P Dow Jones Indices. This is the 24th year Dow has achieved this prestigious ranking as one of the top companies in the global chemical industry in terms of sustainability performance. Dow is also listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index (DJSI North America) for the 19th consecutive year.

“Being listed among the leading companies in sustainability recognizes our efforts and motivates us to continue pursuing performance excellence,” said Andre Argenton, chief sustainability officer and vice president of Environment, Health, Safety and Sustainability for Dow. “By embedding sustainability practices into our operations and business performance, we aim to achieve consistent growth and create long-term value for all our stakeholders – from our employees and customers to our investors and the communities we serve. Together, we are driving positive change and contributing to a more sustainable future.”

In S&P Global’s 2024 Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA), Dow performed particularly well in Climate Strategy, Water, Occupational Health & Safety, and Employee Support & Development Programs. These scores highlight Dow’s continued strong performance in climate protection and the long-standing commitment to investing in the health, safety and development of our employees.

The Dow Jones Sustainability Indices, including the DJSI World, were launched in 1999 as the pioneering series of global sustainability benchmarks available in the market. The index family is comprised of global, regional and country benchmarks.

For information about Dow’s sustainability and ambition progress, see our INtersections Progress Report.

About Dow 
Dow (NYSE: DOW) is one of the world’s leading materials science companies, serving customers in high-growth markets such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. Our global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation, leading business positions and commitment to sustainability enable us to achieve profitable growth and help deliver a sustainable future. We operate manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employ approximately 35,900 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $45 billion in 2023. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. Learn more about us and our ambition to be the most innovative, customer-centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world by visiting www.dow.com.

For further information, please contact:

Rachelle Schikorra 
989-638-4090 
ryschikorra@dow.com

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SOURCE The Dow Chemical Company

By Mary Jacques, Executive Director of Global ESG and Regulatory Compliance, Lenovo

As artificial intelligence revolutionizes industries, its intersection with energy consumption and climate impact has become an important conversation. At Lenovo, leaders like Scott Tease, Vice President and General Manager of our Infrastructure Solutions Group’s Product Line, and I are at the forefront of addressing these challenges, balancing innovation with sustainability. We recently discussed insights that underscore Lenovo’s efforts to align its technology with environmental, social, and governance priorities.

Balancing AI’s power and environmental responsibility

AI is a force of change, enabling applications from self-driving cars to disaster prediction. However, as Tease points out, AI’s use comes with an energy-intensive footprint.

“As we’re seeing more and more AI come online, AI is taking a lot more power than traditional IT does. So, you start putting all this very power-intensive gear into a single room and data center, and you start using the amount of power that could power a small town,” Tease said.

Data centers, the base of AI, only intensify this concern. Not only do they consume vast amounts of electricity, cooling them is also energy-intensive.

“In fact, about 40% of the power bill in a data center goes to air conditioning. You’ve got something that’s already taking up a lot of power, and the resulting heat is going to cost you 40% more to air cool. That’s where we’re focusing – rethinking how that data center works, doing away with traditional air conditioning, and replacing it with liquid cooling,” Tease said.

Lenovo’s response? Innovative solutions like Lenovo Neptune, a liquid cooling system designed to slash energy consumption.

Tease said it uses water to carry heat away from the server, saving 30% or more on energy bills.

“We’ve got a limited amount of power out there and we’ve got to use it as best we can,” he said.

On pace to net-zero

“For myself, I feel that addressing AI’s energy demands is an integral part of Lenovo’s broader ESG commitments.

With a net-zero emissions target by 2050 and interim goals for 2030, Lenovo is focused on reducing emissions across its operations, products, and supply chain. From installing solar panels at our Morrisville headquarters facility to leveraging IoT for real-time operational efficiency, Lenovo is making strides toward its goals.

Lenovo’s goals are reflective of our customers’ and our long-term vision. We remain committed to driving down the energy use and the carbon impact of our products.”

Unlocking AI’s potential for all

AI’s potential to optimize energy use and drive sustainability extends beyond Lenovo’s facilities.

“We can use AI and computer-aided engineering to design a more efficient car. If we can make them even 5% more energy efficient, it will outweigh the energy cost of setting up that AI system,” Tease said.

These innovations extend to industries like retail, where AI is reducing waste and loss.

Tease said one of his favorite examples is how the largest grocery store chain in the U.S. uses AI at self-checkout to reduce loss shrinkage by billions a year.

“Every single one of their self-checkouts has a camera above it. AI is analyzing that camera footage as you do self-checkout,” Tease said. “If you mis-scan something, either intentionally or unintentionally, it basically says, ‘Hey, take a look at what you just put in the bag. Can we check it?’”

Tease said this use of AI is making a big impact on that company’s bottom line.

Governance for responsible innovation

Governance plays a pivotal role in ensuring AI’s benefits do not come at an unacceptable cost. Lenovo has established a Responsible AI Committee and internal governance framework covering ethical, transparency, privacy and security, and other potential concerns. New AI solutions are evaluated against this framework to assess these potential concerns and others like diversity and inclusion, explainability, and environmental and social impact.

Externally, Lenovo is contributing to industry-wide discussions through initiatives like the UNESCO Responsible AI Pact. These efforts aim to set global standards for ethical and sustainable AI development.

Innovation and Sustainability Hand in Hand

Lenovo sees the intersection of AI, energy, and climate as an opportunity, When it comes to sustainability in the era of AI, it is important that we continue to work together towards our common goals and look for solutions for how we can leverage the power of AI to make a difference. When it comes to sustainability goals, it is important to understand the underlying data, leverage the power of AI to more effectively evaluate our impacts and determine the best path to help us meet our goals.

By aligning technological advancements with ESG goals, Lenovo is setting a standard for how businesses can innovate responsibly in an era of constant change.

Through solutions like Neptune, Lenovo is showing that it is possible to have technology and sustainability go hand in hand.

The increasing trend toward outsourcing services has in turn considerably amplified the need for effective management systems for contractor oversight. This is where a contractor safety management system can help guide you through the complexities of contractor engagement, ensuring the safety of the contractor and your own business interests.

Several key factors contribute to the historically poor performance in the management of contractor environmental, health, and safety (EHS) issues. A comprehensive analysis reveals the following key areas of concern:

Lack of understanding of EHS legal obligations pertaining to contractors.Insufficient consideration of contractor EHS management systems and performance in awarding contracts.Insufficient pre-planning of contractor works, specifically in relation to determining hazards and site-specific risks.Limited supervision and inadequate monitoring of contractor activities with respect to EHS aspects.Responsibilities of the various parties not clearly assigned or comprehended in relation to EHS aspects.Lack of necessary technical skills or knowledge for the specific project/related field.Ineffective communication with clients or other stakeholders.

But how extensive does the system need to be? This will depend on your company’s risk profile and the risk profile of the contractor. If you are contracting out routine work such as office cleaning, a simple document check may suffice, although, if your cleaners must abseil down the outside of the building, a more robust system will be required. You will want to ask the contractor:

Do they have the expertise to conduct the specialized work using appropriate equipment?Do contractor personnel have the skills needed to be working at heights?Does the contractor have adequate insurance in case of any mishap?

As the company hiring the contractor, you will have to ensure that: 

Your own building has appropriate anchor points for the contractor to use.Is there a plan to ensure the safety of passers-by?What happens when something goes wrong? Who’s responsibility is it?

A contractor safety management system should be tailored to suit both the specific types of contractors engaged and the resources available within your company. This customized approach ensures efficiency and effectiveness in managing contractor safety. Remember that contractors are typically engaged for their specialized expertise and capabilities that may not exist in-house.

In California, case law recognizes that a hirer of an independent contractor delegates all responsibility for ensuring that the safety of contractor workers rests with the contactor and not the hirer. This principle was established as the ‘Privette doctrine’ which shields the hirer of an independent contractor from liability for the injury or death of a contractor’s personnel. However, there are exceptions to this established precedent i.e., when the company does not disclose latent or concealed hazardous conditions, provides unsafe equipment, or the company controls the work and affirmatively contributes to the injury. Understanding these exceptions and managing contractor relationships accordingly is an important aspect of contractor safety management.

An example of where contractor safety management had gone wrong was found in the 2010 accidental oil spill which occurred in the Gulf of Mexico and is referred to as the Deepwater Horizon accident. While there were a number of mistakes and oversights attributed to the disaster resulting in the largest accidental oil spill in United States (U.S.) history, one of the key mistakes was flaws in British Petroleum’s (BP) management and design, as well as poor communication between BP and its contractors, inadequate training, lack of experience of personnel, and poor maintenance of equipment.

What is the value of monitoring your contractors? 

The monitoring phase is to ensure contractors EHS procedures are “living and breathing” while they are conducting work. What does this mean? The primary objective of this monitoring process is to ensure contractors are conducting work safely by implementing the processes they have described in their EHS systems and processes.

It is important that a systematic approach is adopted when monitoring contractors. Requirements of the contractor and employer should be clearly identified in the contract documentation. Appropriate records of activities related to monitoring and supervision of contractor operations clearly demonstrate the employer’s commitment to meeting its EHS regulatory obligations.

To demonstrate due diligence, contractor safety management systems typically come in four stages:

Contract Specification – outlining the business safety expectations to the potential contractor including adherence to EHS regulations; project initiation process and incident reporting requirements throughout the project duration.Contractor Pre-qualification – request information about the competency of the contractor, public liability and workers insurance, skills and training programs completed, recent EHS incidents, and other safety management systems relevant to the proposed project.Project Initiation – once the preferred contractor is selected by your business and prior to allowing the project to begin, ensure all contract terms and requirements are in place, contractors and subcontractors understand the business safety rules, and lines of communication and responsibility are established.Contractor Monitoring and Verification – During the project, monitor and verify the work being performed. Ensure workplace inspections and observations are conducted regularly. Document any non-conformance issues and take action to remedy them. Also, it’s important to verify that the contractor is executing the work as specified.

Why Audit your Contractors? 

Conducting an audit of your contractors provides both legal and policy implementation assurance that the employer is managing the contractor relationship appropriately. Contractor audits provide many assurance benefits including:

EHS compliance assessment – Audits help ensure that all contractors are adhering to contractual requirements and ensure alignment with regulatory standards and industry best practices.Reduction in operational risk – Audits help identify potential legal and financial risks.Continual process improvement – Audits help identify redundancies and inefficiencies in contract management, which can streamline processes for improved operational effectiveness.Continual quality improvement – Audits help ensure that future contract workers are of higher quality, have the right skills and ability to deliver the project safely, and are most relevant to the organization’s needs.Building a partnership – Audits help ensure that the company’s trust in the performance of the contractor is validated.Mitigate external risks – Audits can help the employer identify and mitigate external risks introduced by third-party suppliers and stakeholders.

How do you Keep the Audit Program ‘Fresh’? 

It is essential for the company and its auditors, whether internal or external, to create an audit program. This program should include a detailed timeline, outline the necessary information, and describe strategies to collect valid and reliable data. It should also ensure data security, confidentiality, and impartiality, and identify the key personnel and stakeholders involved.

As outlined above, the key is to build an appropriate contractor relationship to ensure that projects are performed safely within the boundaries of employer and contractor responsibilities. To maintain the freshness of your audit program, the following principles may be followed:

Modify the audit scope and objectives during each audit cycle.Select different information and data required during each audit period and focus on deferring contractor safety management system components.Select different locations or projects for each contractor to gauge the contractor’s safety management system implementation consistency.Involve different personnel from various levels of the contractor’s business at each round of audits.Vary the audit sampling methodology including the statistics to be gathered.Utilize different technological tools for data collection and analysis in each audit cycle.

Evaluating contractor safety management programs should occur regularly and frequently. At a minimum, these assessments should be conducted annually or biannually. Additionally, every two to three years a more focused and thorough evaluation should be carried out of the contractors’ EHS system. This thorough review ensures that contractors are meeting compliance and adhering to best practices in their EHS activities.

Do you have questions? Our Contractor Safety Management experts are here to help!

Radius is one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of recycled metal products in North America, with facilities in 25 states, Puerto Rico, and Western Canada. At our electric arc furnace (EAF) steel manufacturing operation in McMinnville, Oregon, we source most of our ferrous metal feedstock from our own recycling operations to produce low-carbon finished steel products.

Steel produced through an electric arc furnace uses recycled metals and an average of 74% less energy, 40% less water, and 90% less virgin materials when compared to steel produced using virgin materials.

We power our steel mill primarily using carbon-free hydroelectricity, which further reduces the environmental impact of our operation and the overall carbon content of our finished steel products. We specialize in melting and molding recycled steel into a variety of products, including rebar, coiled products, wire rod, merchant bar, and other specialty items. These products are essential in a wide range of construction applications, including reinforcing concrete in highways, supporting bridge structures, and serving as raw materials for new building projects.

We market finished steel products mainly to customers in the western United States and Canada. In fiscal 2024, we sold 509,000 short tons of finished steel produced from recycled ferrous metals.

GRN Steel™ Delivers a Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Solution

Our GRN Steel™ product line offers some of the lowest carbon emission steel in the world. To achieve net-zero carbon emissions, we eliminate the limited Scope 1 and 2 emissions generated during our EAF steel manufacturing process through a carbon offset and renewable energy credit purchase program. As global carbon reduction commitments continue to expand to consider the full lifecycle of end products, GRN Steel™ delivers an important pathway to decarbonizing supply chains.

Learn more.

GREENFIELD, Ind., February 25, 2025 /3BL/ – Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) today announced it has entered into an agreement with South Dakota-based Medgene to leverage the company’s innovative vaccine platform technology. The agreement includes commercialization of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) vaccine for use in dairy cattle. Medgene reports the vaccine has met all requirements of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) platform technology guidelines and is in the final stages of review for conditional license approval.

While the poultry industry has developed interventions and processes to reduce the spread or eradicate HPAI, those efforts have continued to be challenging as the current outbreak enters its fourth year. Dairy producers have worked quickly to protect their herds without the same tools and biosecurity options to tackle this devastating disease. The cross-species transmission of the disease into nearly 1,000 dairy herds across the U.S. since March 2024, along with zoonotic transmission to people, shows that more interventions are quickly needed. This virus is prevalent and predicted to persist over time, thus a cattle vaccine will be critical to slow virus spread between birds and cattle.

“As egg prices soar and milk production wanes in infected dairies, the need for new solutions to curb disease spread is evident,” says Jeff Simmons, President and CEO of Elanco Animal Health. “Elanco is pleased to partner with Medgene to bring customers options to fight this devastating disease and believes this product will become part of a routine vaccination protocol for the U.S. dairy industry. This partnership further strengthens our diverse dairy portfolio and advances our One Health platform of animal health solutions, not only benefitting our dairy customers, but helping curb disease spread for our poultry customers, and working to improve egg prices for consumers.”

“Medgene has an established reputation of supporting animal owners and their veterinarians with our USDA-licensed platform technology and bioinformatics software to design transformational vaccines. With our critically important H5N1 vaccine for dairy cattle in the final stages of approval, we’re excited to partner with Elanco to quickly bring this much needed solution to U.S. dairies,” said Mark Luecke, CEO of Medgene.

The USDA previously approved Medgene’s vaccine platform technology in cattle, allowing the company to accelerate H5N1 vaccine development. Medgene has existing vaccine manufacturing supply ready to deploy with the ability to support the U.S. dairy herd.

ABOUT ELANCO

Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) is a global leader in animal health dedicated to innovating and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets, creating value for farmers, pet owners, veterinarians, stakeholders and society as a whole. With 70 years of animal health heritage, we are committed to breaking boundaries and going beyond to help our customers improve the health of animals in their care, while also making a meaningful impact on our local and global communities. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our Elanco Healthy Purpose™ sustainability pillars – all to advance the health of animals, people, the planet and our enterprise. Learn more at www.elanco.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including, without limitation, statements concerning product approvals and launches and expectations for contractual relationships. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, by their nature, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. As a result, our actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include regional, national or global political, economic, business, competitive, market and regulatory conditions, including whether and when the USDA completes its review, the USDA’s determination about any conditional approval, market acceptance of the vaccine, our ability to market and sell the vaccine, competition with other solutions to address highly pathogenic avian influenza and additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements described in the company’s latest Form 10-K and Form 10-Qs filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We caution you against relying on any forward-looking statements, which should also be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included elsewhere in this press release. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release speaks only as of the date thereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or to revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Media Contact 
Colleen Parr Dekker 
+1.317.989.7011 
colleen.dekker@elancoah.com

Investor Contact 
Tiffany Kanaga 
+1.765.740.0314 
tiffany.kanaga@elancoah.com